Bow Tie Quote: “People wear bow ties to make a statement”

Recently G. Clay Whittaker wrote about the art of wearing a bow tie for Men’s Journal. The art requires confidence that notable wearers have mastered, but that doesn’t require a lot of courage — just some initial faith.

Whittaker notes that making such a neckwear choice is one that most gents typically don’t make for many reasons. For instance, many people associate bow ties — except for frat boys — with formal white tie and black tie events such as weddings, galas, proms, and other special events. Men who decide to wear them at other times are definitely considered bold.

So, how about people who wear them at other times? James Hill of tie maker High Cotton tells Whittaker that, “People wear bow ties to make a statement.”

Unsurprisingly, it is not uncommon for one who sports a bow tie to use it as a way to draw attention to themselves. Andy Stager, of The Cordial Churchman, further reveals to Whittaker that doing so “demonstrates a playful, defiant sort of confidence.”

Confidence is key to this sartorial fraternity (not the rowdy type found at universities and colleges) as Stager contends that while many men don’t think that they are they the type of guy who can pull one off, he argues that you rarely hear someone say: “Some people can pull it off, but he can’t.”

That’s is how I feel. Most of the confidence required to wear bow ties is to put one on the first time. I remember the reluctance I felt when I first decided to try wearing one. At the time I knew very few men who wore them. How would people react? Would they think that I looked funny? Would they even notice? Or worse yet, would they even say something? Fortunately, I got plenty of compliments from women and — to my surprise — other men who admired my boldness. From that point forward, if I ever needed a confidence boost, I would sometimes wear a bow tie, and the compliments would flow in.

Now, once one has developed this confidence, they must use it responsibly. As Hill further tells Whittaker, “There is a certain responsibility associated with wearing a bow tie, so I always tell folks to wear it well and behave like a gentleman.”

While there are certainly plenty of bow tie clad men who are larger than life characters, the most remarkable ones are aware of the responsibility to accomplish good things. Winston Churchill stood up to the Axis powers during World War II. Dhani Jones helps make custom ties for organizations to sell for fundraising purposes. Many notable academics — including WVU President Gordon Gee, Mizzou Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin, BYU distinguished and renowned political scientist David Magleby, and many other noted presidents and professors — are devoted to improving the world through generating and disseminating knowledge.

Therefore, there are many men who harness the confidence to make a bold neckwear statement for good. While some may enjoy the notoriety associated with wearing bow ties, they do so responsibly. Let’s hear it for them.